Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-07-31
THE RICHMOND DISPATCH.-SUNDAY. JULY 81. 1857.
and numerous others Of equal merit

ami Otutlo VI w.
and public spirit. -
II was mainly due to q suggestion Oh
Mr. Harvie's THAT an appeal be maze
10 the counties and cities OF Virglnls)
that on the evening of November, 1000,
at the society's first annual far anu
exhibition liberal cash subscfip,,
ton was obtained at once, which placed
il upon its feet and endowed 1t WITH q
vitality which it has not yet entirely
lost. From the birth of this society
he was member of its Executive Com
mittee; was, after the war, one OF its
most efficient presidents, and attended
all of its annual fairs, including the one
held last fall. ..,
But his energy and public spirit led
him TO engage in still another enter
prise of moment. He was one OF the
earliest to recognize the possibilities OF
the Richmond and Danville railroad,
and was prominent in its establishments.
According to the rule OF the day, the
company claimed in its charter a SUD
scription from the State Of three hftns
of the capital stock, and on that account
it was strongly opposed by large
party in the Legislature which wanted
the money for its own purposes, and
decided the plan as worthless anu
chimerical. But the charter was oO'
tanned the road was built and 1t com
menced operations with a track only
143 miles long-from Richmond to
Danville. Eut Mr.. Harvie becoming
its president a few years before the war,
at once cast about to extend 1t ana
during the war he put in the link be-
tween Danville and Greensboro. rms
united it with the North Carolina Pied
mont system, and has enabled 1t to
gain its present position as an import
ant part of q syndicate controlling l,O0O
miles: of which, if richmond had been
wise. nearly all would now be pouring
tribute into her lap.
Still his activity sought other work;
and he was for years the presiding JUS
tee of his county court. This Office
combined the functions which, since
the adoption of the Constitution OF
1869. have been distributed between the
county Judge and the county super
visors. And though the courts OF that
day always had the assistance OF the
other "justices Of the quorum, yet the
labor and responsibility of administer
ing such law as the courts jurisdiction
embraced, and of directing Its police
and its municipal affairs, was mainly de-
volyed upon the presiding justice;
whose services, as those of his col
leagues, were gratuitously rendered.
1t was therefore an important Office
not of profit, but of trust and honor.
1t is to the credit OF the period, now
declied and pitied as "the old Nr-
ginia," that the men who for more than
a hundred years filed that position in
more than a hundred counties had
fewer Of their decisions reversed by the
highest court than the circuit courts OF
the Commonwealth, and that their al
ministraton was one OF rare purity,
singularly exempt from jobs and cor
luption.
it is very high compliment to tAe
subject of this sketch to say, a. may be
done with truth, that Of all these wor-
thits not one ever brought to the Ollie
more conscientious sense OF It's du-
ties than he or hrmor resolve
to dispense its Justice " freely without
reward, speedily without delay, AL
fully without denial.
Such is a brief record OF Mr.. Il ir-
yie's career. which ran Tor thirty five
years through the web and wool OF Iir-
einia's public affairs rs charlcteri tie
was the devotion it displayed to his
State and his friends. bnt it vas not
singular except III the z al waich ant
mated. and tie success which atton lei.
his efforts. Ii MI her citizens wera not
so fortunate, all at least were rs de-
voted as he was to the glory and vel
fare of Virginia; as thousands attcstet
ly sacrifices of blood and treasure. ii
is the pride Of his friends, not that h.
was the exception TO the rule OF pa
tIiotic will and enIelYOr, bur that ha
Vas true representative OF an age
which the new school now iib6ls a. the
cfete outcome of the curse of slavery.
If there were no Henry, nor Mason,
nor Wythe, nor PendletOn, nor wash
ingtou, nor jefferson, nor none OF that
galaxy" ;he foremost men OF all this
world i'm the cause OF liberty to
prove tlat slavery was neither blot
nor blight, it were enough t. point
in refutation of the calumny to the
age which produced Lewis =. uarvie
and his compeers.
\ few words will portray his
personal character. From his an
cestry, which on one side was
Welsh and on another Scotch,
he had inhcrited an uncommon share
of Celtic fire. Hut it very rarely got
away with him for he controlled 1t
not more bya strong will than by good
ness of heart and that sense OF the
rights Of others which is the founal-
ton of good manners. But if prompt
70 resent an indignity, he was still
more prompt to repair wrong. lie
vas impulsiye. but not violent abSo-
lutte, hut rot dictatorial positive, but
not intolorant. Brought up in aschool
Of manners which no longer exists, he
had tie engaging address, st of by the
manly bearing, OF that time. In heart
Ire was Us tender as a woman. by na-
ture os trustiul as q child, and by tenn
per tolerant and forgiving 70 the verge
Of weakness.
Such was the man, the representative
Yirginian. whose memory } have in
this imperfect sketch attempted 10 pre-
serve for season.
1t only remains to say that he spent
much OF bis last days in prayer, calling
upon the name OF the Lord Jesus
Christ; that he forsIye all who had in
iurld him, as one condition OF his own
forgiveness. Thus he made his peace
with God and man, and SO trumphed
over death and the grave. Z. G.. L.
letfer of Mr.. Hunters, dc.
To the Editor Of the Dispatch :